The Tauranga City Council has revised Welcome Bay roading plans after community feedback, but a resident says the changes don’t go far enough.

Petition organiser Robert Coe said the changes still fail to address the community’s core concerns.

The council proposed in March to add traffic lights at the Welcome Bay Rd and Kaitemako Rd intersection and introduce a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane.

To make space for the HOV lane, the council proposed removing the flush median on Welcome Bay Rd.

Residents objected as this would force drivers to stop in a live traffic lane to turn across the road into homes.

The council has since decided to keep the flush median. It would instead remove parking spaces and on-road cycle lanes for the HOV lane.

The project was part of a wider $5.5 million package of roading changes designed to “keep Tauranga moving” during construction of major transport projects – including the 15th Ave to Welcome Bay – over the next few years.

Coe told Local Democracy Reporting at the time of the proposal that he believed the $2.55m Welcome Bay/Kaitemako Rd plans were a “waste of money”.

He started a petition challenging the plan. It gained more than 600 signatures and he planned to present it when the project returned to a council meeting.

After the council’s flush median rethink, Coe said it was nice this had been addressed, but key objections in his petition were the traffic lights at the Kaitemako Rd and Welcome Bay Rd intersection and the HOV lane.

He said he still believed the design would worsen congestion as the lights would create stop-start traffic and queues would continue to back up from the Hairini bridge.

Welcome Bay Rd is set to get a high occupancy vehicle lane as part of roading plans. Photo / Ayla Yeoman

In his view, there was no need for a signalised intersection, as the current system of drivers merging like a zip worked.

“The traffic light is going to create a hard stop.

“So many seconds in every change of lights will hold it so it’s going to make the tailback worse.”

Council transport strategy and assurance manager Karen Hay said the revised plan, which retained the centre median, was estimated to cost $2.9m.

“The proposed signalised pedestrian crossing between Waikare Place and Awanui Place was previously budgeted for the Long-term Plan at an approximate cost of $500,000.”

A council media release said the conceptual design was refined based on community feedback and further safety assessments.

Welcome Bay Ward councillor Hautapu Baker said many people told the council they were concerned about losing the centre median.

Welcome Bay ward councillor Hautapu Baker. Photo / Alex Cairns

“We listened to that feedback and have changed the design to keep the median in place.”

The revised proposal still included the westbound HOV lane between Meadowviews Drive and the traffic signals near the Maungatapu underpass.

Vehicles with two or more passengers, buses, motorcycles and emergency vehicles could use the HOV lane.

To make room for it, on-road cycle lanes would be replaced with a new shared walking and cycling path.

Ten parking spaces on the north side of Welcome Bay Rd, opposite and east of Meadowviews Drive, would also be removed.

The council is seeking further feedback on the proposed new traffic lights at the intersection of Welcome Bay Rd and Kaitemako Rd, after hearing mixed community views.

The proposed changes to Welcome Bay Rd. Graphic / Tauranga City Council

The council release said it wanted to hear whether residents wanted the signals installed now or deferred until there was more traffic.

“Potential benefits include safer pedestrian crossings, better walking and cycling connections, improved access for vehicles entering and leaving Kaitemako Rd, and a long-term solution that supports future growth.”

The council was also proposing a new signalised pedestrian crossing on Welcome Bay Rd between Waikare Place and Awanui Place.

A significant number of people crossed the road to bus stops on the stretch, including many schoolchildren.

Residents can provide feedback through an online survey on the council’s website, closing 5pm on October 2.

The council will also hold a community drop-in session on Tuesday, from 5pm to 7pm at Waipuna Park Pavilion on Kaitemako Rd, where residents can speak with the project team, ask questions and share their views.

Ayla Yeoman is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based in Tauranga. She holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in communications, politics and international relations from the University of Auckland, and has been a journalist since 2023.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.